PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mackenzie Little (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoldiy Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Little
vs
Cruz

176 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

160 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mackenzie Little!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Yoldiy Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Little tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cruz manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Little throws a left and a right that both miss

and Cruz moves into the clinch.
Little throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cruz blocks it with crossed arms.
Little tries to land knees in the clinch but Cruz avoids the damage to the body.
Little misses with a body punch.
Little content to slow the pace in the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Little.
Cruz has Little pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Little manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Little misses with the head strike.
Cruz should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Little with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Cruz tries for a takedown but Little manages to get underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Little throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Cruz tries to break the clinch but Little is controlling the position.
Little landing knees to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mackenzie Little has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoldiy Cruz.
Still in the clinch, Little scores with a nice short uppercut.
Little is pressed up against the cage. Cruz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Little down to the mat. Little avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Little swinging wildly here.
Cruz chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Little can pounce on him.
Cruz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Little is looking to clinch.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Little tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cruz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Little tries to clinch
and Cruz counters with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Little tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cruz paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Cruz moves into the clinch successfully.
Little tries to work over Cruz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Little.

Little drives through and clinches with Cruz against the cage.
Cruz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz effectively controlling the action here.
Little doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A bit of stalling here from Cruz.
A head punch on the inside from Little fails to land.
Stalling in the clinch from Little.
Cruz managing to block the knees to the body from Little.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Little takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Little throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cruz blocks it with crossed arms.
Little throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Little misses with a hook from the clinch.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.
Little fails with an attempt to clinch.

Little has Cruz up against the cage in a clinch.
Little prevents the takedown attempt.
Cruz is looking to control Little's arms but Little gets an underhook and turns him. Now Cruz has his back to the cage.
Little is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Cruz is keeping busy.
The referee calls for Cruz to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Cruz's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Little with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Little throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cruz blocks it with crossed arms.
Little throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cruz blocks it with crossed arms.
Cruz has Little pressed against the cage.
Cruz jumps guard but Little turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Little misses with a hook to the ribs.
Little trying to control the position but instead, Cruz has worked for underhooks and has pushed Little into the cage.
Little looking to throw knees to the head but Cruz is blocking nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz misses with a punch to the body.
Cruz blocks an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mackenzie Little dominated that round.
That's time! Little's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Little throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cruz tries to clinch up.

Little moves into the clinch successfully.
Little trying to land knees to the body.
Cruz is trying to pull guard but Little has him pressed against the cage.
Little is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Little throws a head punch that misses.
Cruz is looking for a takedown.
Little throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cruz blocks it with crossed arms.
Little with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Cruz tries to pull guard but Little won't allow it.
Mackenzie Little has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoldiy Cruz.
Cruz blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Little taking a breather.
Little with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Little looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Little tries to work over Cruz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Little on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cruz changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Little fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Little tries to clinch up but Cruz circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruz tries to clinch up but Little circles away and keeps his distance.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Cruz.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Little tries to clinch but Cruz is having none of it.

Little rushes Cruz and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Little is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Cruz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Little tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cruz's elbow.
A short right from Little.
Little slowing the pace effectively.
Cruz is trying to break free.
Mackenzie Little has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Cruz wants a takedown.
Cruz blocks an uppercut.
Cruz misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Little.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Little misses with an elbow strike.
Cruz doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Cruz with a knee to the head.
Little throws a knee to the head but misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz wants a takedown.
Cruz is breathing heavily.
Little misses with a hook from the clinch.
Cruz tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Little pushes off an throws an elbow but Cruz leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Little goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Little manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Little.
Cruz jumps guard but Little stands there with Cruz around his waist. Cruz gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Cruz is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Little gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Little with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Little leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Little tries to land a knee to the head but Cruz blocks with his arms.
Cruz looking for a takedown.
Cruz on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Little tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Little throws a knee to the head but misses.
Cruz is looking to take this one to the mat.
Little with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Little tries to land knees in the clinch but Cruz avoids the damage to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Little slows down the pace here.
Little looking to slow down the pace here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mackenzie Little dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz works the jab nicely.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch but Little swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Little tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Little swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Little tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cruz paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Little wants to clinch.
Cruz misses with a takedown attempt - Little sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Cruz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Little.
Mackenzie Little seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Little wants to clinch

and Cruz counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Cruz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Little can't find room to land a body shot as Cruz controls the action.
Little looking to stall.
Little misses with a knee to the head.
Cruz is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Little to keep the fight standing.
Cruz blocking some punches.
Cruz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Little working aggressively here.
Cruz is trying to stall.
Little misses with a hook to the ribs.
Cruz jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Little walks away with a smile on his face. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Mackenzie Little has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoldiy Cruz.
Little tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Cruz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Cruz forces Little back against the cage and clinches.

Cruz pulls Little into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Little drops back, looking for a kneebar! Cruz looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Cruz looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Cruz!
Cruz trying to control the action but Little is working from the bottom.
Little is letting Cruz control him for a moment.
Little is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The ground and pound from Cruz seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Little, who protects the arm well.
Cruz is staying tight to Little's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Cruz decides to stand back up.
Little attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

Little has taken the fight to the clinch.
Little looking to throw knees to the head but Cruz is blocking nicely.
Little gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cruz.
Cruz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Little tries to land a knee to the head but Cruz blocks with his arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Little misses with a knee strike.
Little tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cruz's elbow.
Cruz on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Little stalling against the cage.
Cruz makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cruz tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Little smiles and moves away.
Little fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Little tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Yoldiy Cruz.
I think Little has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Mackenzie Little!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Mackenzie Little!
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for Mackenzie Little!

Mackenzie Little wins by unanimous decision!
After winning the bout, Mackenzie Little thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.